The first weekend of May brought sports car fans a double-header of action from across Europe, as GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup kicked off at Brands Hatch and Italian GT Endurance opened its season at Misano. At Paul Ricard, the European Le Mans Series held its second round of the year. Meanwhile, GT3 Legends saw its classic GT3s roar to life for its first full season of retro racing. From Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG glory to a standout Audi and classic Aston Martin performances, here’s what went down.

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup – Brands Hatch

The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Cup season kicked off with a double-header at Brands Hatch, producing two closely fought races on the British GP venue’s tight and undulating Indy layout.

Race 1 went to the #51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3, as Alessio Rovera and Vincent Abril combined clever pit strategy with confident racecraft to hold off the chasing pack. Abril took over mid-race and maintained the lead under relentless pressure, securing the season’s first win. Benjamin Goethe and Marvin Kirchhöfer claimed second in the #59 Garage 59 McLaren, while Thierry Vermeulen and Chris Lulham took third in the #69 Emil Frey Ferrari.

Read the full race 1 report.

In Race 2, Mercedes struck back through the #48 Winward Racing crew of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel. Engel led the early phase from pole and handed over to Auer, who controlled a chaotic second half featuring two safety car periods. The #32 WRT BMW of Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde took second, with third going to the #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche of Patric Niederhauser and Sven Müller.

Read the full race 2 report.

Italian GT Endurance Championship – Misano

Tresor Attempto Racing opened the Italian GT Endurance season with a controlled win at Misano, taking overall honours in the #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO. Rocco Mazzola, Fabio Rauer, and Riccardo Cazzaniga claimed the victory after leading from pole position and overcoming mid-race pressure.

Starting with Cazzaniga, the Audi squad maintained control early before briefly losing the lead during the first driver change. Rauer handed the car to Mazzola for the final stint, who reclaimed the lead after Andrea Frassineti’s off-track moment in the #63 VSR Lamborghini—triggered by an oil slick. Mazzola managed the closing phase of the race with composure to seal the win.

Second went to the #85 Imperiale Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 driven by Philippe Denes, Andrea Cola, and Jacopo Guidetti, who recovered from a tough start to secure the runner-up spot after a strong middle stint. Haas RT completed the podium with the #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 of Omar Jackson, Ramez Azzam, and Axcil Jefferies, who also took Pro-Am honours with a storming drive from 16th on the grid.

European Le Mans Series – Paul Ricard

IDEC Sport claimed a home victory in the second round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series at Paul Ricard, with Jamie Chadwick, Daniel Juncadella, and Mathys Jaubert guiding the #18 Oreca to a well-earned win. The race was shaped by a wet start, several safety car interventions, and evolving tyre strategies, with Jaubert delivering a calm and composed final stint to retain the lead under pressure. The win marked Chadwick’s first overall ELMS triumph and came on the weekend of IDEC Sport’s 10th anniversary, adding extra significance to the result. Behind them, Inter Europol Competition took second, while the #47 CLX Motorsport entry completed the overall LMP2 podium.

GT3 Legends – Donington Park

The GT3 Legends series roared into life at Donington Park with a strong grid of retro GT3 machinery from 2006 to 2012. Jonathan Mitchell dominated both 50-minute races in his V12-powered Aston Martin, converting pole into a pair of commanding wins. Andrew Jordan and Matt Holme took second in Race 1 with their Corvette before retiring in race 2, while Christian Albrecht and Max Lynn rounded out the podiums in their McLaren and Nissan GT-R respectively.

Read the full report here.

Photo gallery.

Coming up: Spa WEC showdown, IMSA at Laguna Seca, and NLS at the Nürburgring

Next weekend sees endurance racing action on three fronts. The FIA World Endurance Championship heads to Spa-Francorchamps for the final test before Le Mans, while IMSA returns to Laguna Seca for a 2h40m sprint on Sunday. At the Nürburgring, NLS continues with the 56th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy as teams ramp up preparations for the 24h Qualifiers later this month.